Columbia man commuted by former President Biden released from federal custody
Nia Hinson
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man convicted of being involved in a Mid-Missouri drug ring was released from federal custody on Wednesday.
Malcolm Redmon, 42 of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to being involved in a cocaine-selling ring in Mid-Missouri from 2011-14. He was one of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug charges to have their sentence commuted by former President Joe Biden.
A federal judge ordered his release to a halfway house in Kansas City in June, according to online records.
An email sent to ABC 17 News Wednesday afternoon from the federal bureau of prisons confirmed Redmon was released from federal custody on July 16.
However, they would not confirm if Redmon had been released from the halfway house.
“For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not comment on the conditions of confinement for any individual in our custody, including release plans,” the statement reads.
Redmon’s cousin, Nathan Stephens says the two were close while growing up in Columbia and said he viewed Redmon’s father as someone he looked up to. Redmon grew up in public housing, faced with many challenges growing up, according to Stephens.
“Like many of us, he took to the streets. Especially when you’re living in an economically disenfranchised community,” Stephens said. “When you’re in an economically disenfranchised community and the opportunity to “do dirt” as we say comes available, it’s kind of hard to resist that because no one wants to continue to struggle, myself included. I’m not saying that that’s necessarily an excuse, but I’m saying it’s not like we had all of the choices that folks who may not necessarily be fans of his, or what I believe is overly critical fully understand.”
Stephens also served time in prison, before being released in 2000. He said he views prison as a place that isn’t designed to rehabilitate people and doesn’t believe in the system he referred to as “flawed.”
Stephens said Redmon served his time and is deserving of the second chance he’s been given, a feeling he said the family shares. According to Stephens, Redmon’s father’s health is deteriorating and there have been several deaths in the family within the last five years, making it that much more important that Redmon not serve anymore time.
He said he’s spoken to Redmon via Facebook, who’s been involved in a vocational program and seems to have a clear head and reconnected with his children and family.
Stephens said no one is in a position to judge Redmon.
“We have a current president sitting with 34 felonies but I guarantee you, many of the folks who would criticize and talk about Malcolm and myself and others are not talking about our sitting president,” Stephens said. “I would tell them to give that same energy to our sitting president that they would Malcolm, myself or others who are formerly incarcerated or currently incarcerated.”
Redmon was one of 27 people arrested in 2014 throughout Missouri and Illinois in relation with the cocaine ring. He was accused of being the leader of the operation. Federal authorities accused him of directing sales and converting cocaine to crack.
Stephens said while he’s looking forward to reconnecting with Redmon face to face soon, he and his family are hopeful Redmon chooses not to return to Columbia for a much needed change.
Stephens also views himself as a person who is living proof that a person can change, turning his life around after prison, working as an assistant professor in social work.
“When I came home, I started working for parks and recreation, working with young men like myself and Malcolm used to be, Stephens said. “I went from working at University of Missouri. I worked at Douglass Park for a number of years trying to steer our young people in the right direction but that’s the thing that people don’t talk about is a lot of those resources that we grew up with are no longer there.”
All of that doesn’t come without problems along the way.
“I’ve gone from prison to PhD and yet I still have to check the box when I apply for jobs. I lost a job at SEMO (Southeast Missouri State University) because of my background,” Stephens said.